Nixon and the Watergate Scandal free essay sample

Watergate Scandal Victoria Daniele Constitutional History May 19, 2013 The Watergate Scandal involved a number of illegal activities that were designed to help President Richard Nixon win re-election. The scandal involved burglary, wiretapping, campaign financing violations, and the use of government agencies to harm political opponents. A major part of the scandal was also the cover-up of all these illegal actions. The Watergate Scandal got its name from the Watergate office complex in Washington, D. C. This large office building was the home of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters, and the site of the break-in that began the largest scandal in American politics. However, even before the break-in, President Nixon had begun illegal operations. In January 1972, G. Gordon Liddy[-gt;0], general counsel to the Committee for the Re-Election of the President[-gt;1] (CRP), presented a campaign intelligence plan to CRPs Acting Chairman Jeb Stuart Magruder[-gt;2], Attorney General John Mitchell[-gt;3], and Presidential Counsel John Dean[-gt;4], that involved extensive illegal activities against the Democratic Party[-gt;5]. We will write a custom essay sample on Nixon and the Watergate Scandal or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Mitchell viewed the plan as unrealistic, but two months later was alleged to have approved a reduced version of the plan which involved burgling the Democratic National Committees (DNC) headquarters at the Watergate Complex[-gt;6] in Washington, D. C. The ostensible purpose of this was to photograph documents and install listening devices. Liddy was nominally in charge of the operation, but has since insisted that he was duped by Dean and at least two of his subordinates. These included former CIA officers E. Howard Hunt[-gt;7] and James McCord[-gt;8], then CRP-Security Coordinator; John Mitchell had by then resigned as Attorney General to become chairman of the CRP. WATERGATE RETROSPECTIVE: THE DECLINE AND FALL[-gt;9], Time Magazine, August 19, 1974 After two attempts to break into the Watergate Complex failed to yield information of value, the order for yet another break-in was given to Liddy by Jeb Magruder, either acting on his own or on orders from Dean. Shortly after midnight on June 17, 1972, Frank Wills[-gt;10], a security guard at the Watergate Complex, noticed tape overing the latches on doors in the complex (allowing the doors to close but remain unlocked). He removed the tape and thought nothing of it. Wills returned an hour later and discovered that someone had re-taped the locks, which he then called the police. Five men were discovered and arrested inside the DNCs office. WATERGATE RETROSPECTIVE: THE DECLINE AND FALL[-gt;11], Time Magazine, August 19, 1974 The five men were Virgilio Gonzalez, Bernard Barker[-gt;12], James McCord, Eugenio Martinez[-gt;13], and Frank Sturgis[-gt;14], who were charged with attempted burglary and attempted interception of telephone and other communications. On September 15, a grand jury[-gt;15] indicted them, as well as Hunt and Liddy,Watergate: chronology of a crisis 1. Washington D. C. : Congressional Quarterly Inc. p. 4. ISBN[-gt;16] 0-87187-059-2[-gt;17]. OCLC[-gt;18] 20974031[-gt;19] for conspiracy, burglary, and violation of federal wiretapping laws. The five burglars who broke into the office were tried by Judge John Sirica[-gt;20] and convicted on January 30, 1973. Throughout the next few months this minor break-in turned into a full blown political scandal. When first questioned about the situation in early 1973, Nixon denied all allegations that either he or any White House official was linked to the break-in. Later that year evidence was uncovered that linked several White House officials to the break-in, and/or the cover-up and concealment of the evidence. This information indicated that White House officials had attempted to involve the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the cover-up. The FBI connected cash found on the burglars to a slush fund[-gt;21] used by the Committee for the Re-Election of the President[-gt;22], the official organization of Nixons campaign. Watergate: chronology of a crisis 1. Washington D. C. : Congressional Quarterly Inc. pp. 8 133 140 180 188. ISBN[-gt;23] 0-87187-059-2[-gt;24]. OCLC[-gt;25] 20974031[-gt;26]. This book is volume one of a two-volume set. Both volumes share the same ISBN and Library of Congress call number, E859 . C62 1973The Smoking Gun Tape[-gt;27] (Transcript of the recording of a meeting between President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman). Watergate. info website. June 23, 1972. Retrieved 2013-05-03. In July 1973, as evidence mounted against the presidents staff, including testimony provided by former staff members in an investigation conducted by the Senate Watergate Committee[-gt;28], it was revealed that President Nixon had a tape-recording system in his offices and he had recorded[-gt;29] many conversations. The Watergate hearings: break-in and cover-up; proceedings. New York: Viking Press. ISBN[-gt;30] 0-670-75152-9[-gt;31]. The White House Transcripts. New York: Viking Press. ISBN[-gt;32] 0-670-76324-1[-gt;33]. OCLC[-gt;34] 1095702[-gt;35] Recordings from these tapes implicated the president, revealing he had attempted to cover up the questionable (and illegal) events that had taken place after the break-in. The Smoking Gun Tape[-gt;36] (Transcript of the recording of a meeting between President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman). Watergate. info website. June 23, 1972. Retrieved 2013-04-18. Breach of Faith: The Fall of Richard Nixon. New York: Atheneum Publishers. pp. 7. ISBN[-gt;37] 0-689-10658-0[-gt;38]. In April of 1973, special prosecutor Archibald Cox was appointed to handle the case. Presidential Council, John W. Dean III became the chief witness against President Nixon in the court hearings. In the trial Dean admitted that he was a major part of the scandal and that Nixon did in fact know of the illegal activities being committed by his administration. Dean also testified that Nixon’s Administration had planned to use the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other government agencies to punish people who the White House had placed on a so-called enemies-lists. Dean served four months in prison for his part in the Watergate Scandal, but through his testimony a new door was opened into the scandal. Through further investigation it was discovered by Alexander P. Butterfield that President Nixon had made tape recordings of conversations with White House officials. When asked to release the tapes Nixon refused saying that he had a Constitutional right to keep the tapes confidential. He was later ordered by the court to hand the tapes over. Nixon offered to provide summaries of all the tapes but his idea was rejected and he was again ordered to hand over the original tapes. Infuriated by the court’s decision he ordered his Attorney General and his Deputy Attorney General to fire Cox. For their refusal to dismiss Cox, both Attorney General, Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General, William Ruckelshaus were fired. This series of dismissals by Nixon became known as the Saturday Night Massacre. When Cox was fired, Leon Jaworski was appointed to take his place. The firing of Cox however, did not work to Nixon’s advantage. In April of 1974, Jaworski ordered Nixon to release the tape recordings and documents of sixty-four White House conversations. By the end of April, Nixon had released 1,254 pages of transcripts from White House conversations. Jaworski however, was not satisfied; he wanted the original tapes. After a protracted series of bitter court battles, the U. S. Supreme Court[-gt;39] unanimously ruled that the president had to hand over the tapes to government investigators; and Nixon he ultimately complied. With the tapes at hand, Jaworski began the Watergate trial. In March of 1974, seven of Nixon’s former members of his administration and re-election committee were charged with conspiracy in the cover-up of the Watergate break-in. Among the seven were John D. Echrlichman, H. R. Haldeman, and John N. Mitchell. They were all found guilty of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury. They were sentenced to two and a half to eight years in prison. Their prison terms were later reduced to just one to four years. G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt were also indicted for their involvement as plumbers and for their involvement in the break-in and cover-up of the scandal. They too were sentenced to one to four years in prison. In July 1974, the House Judiciary Committee voted to impeach President Nixon. They adopted three articles of impeachment: obstruction of justice, abusing presidential powers, and illegally withholding evidence from the judiciary committee. On August 5, 1974 Nixon released the final three transcripts of the White House conversations. These final three transcripts dated back to six days after the break-in. They revealed that Nixon had ordered the FBI to abandon its investigation of the break-in. Nixon ordered them to close the investigation for he feared that the FBI would discover the involvement of his campaign committee. After the release of the final three tapes Nixon lost nearly all his support in Congress and Nixon’s top aides advised him to resign the presidency. On August 9, 1974 President Richard M. Nixon followed their advice and resigned from the presidency to avoid being removed from office. Vice President Gerald R. Ford was sworn into office the same day. On September 8, 1974 President Ford pardoned Nixon of all federal crimes that he had committed while serving as the President of the United States. With President Nixons resignation, Congress dropped its impeachment proceedings. Criminal prosecution was still a possibility both on the Federal and State level. The Legal Aftermath Citizen Nixon and the Law[-gt;40]. TIME. August 19, 1974. Retrieved 2013-05-03. Nixon was succeeded[-gt;41] by Vice President Gerald Ford[-gt;42] as President, who on September 8, 1974, issued a full and unconditional pardon[-gt;43] of Nixon, immunizing him from prosecution for any crimes he had †¦committed or may have committed or taken part in†¦ as president. Gerald Fords Proclamation Granting a Pardon to Richard Nixon[-gt;44]. Ford. utexas. edu. Retrieved 2013-04-18. In a televised broadcast to the nation, Ford explained that he felt the pardon was in the best interest of the country. Ford also said that the Nixon familys situation †¦is an American tragedy in which we all have played a part. It could go on and on and on, or someone must write the end to it. I have concluded that only I can do that, and if I can, I must. Gerald R. Ford Pardoning Richard Nixon. Great Speeches Collection. The History Place. Retrieved 2013-05-03. Nixon proclaimed his innocence until his death in 1994. In his official response to the pardon, he said that he was wrong in not acting more decisively in dealing with Watergate, particularly when it reached the stage of judicial proceedings and grew from a political scandal into a national tragedy. Some commentators have argued that pardoning Nixon contributed to President Fords loss of the presidential election of 1976[-gt;45]. ( Shane, Scott. For Ford, Pardon Decision Was Always Clear-Cut. The New York Times. p. A1. ) Allegations of a secret deal made with Ford, promising a pardon in return for Nixons resignation, led Ford to testify before the House Judiciary Committee[-gt;46] on October 17, 1974. Silent coup: the removal of a president. New York: St. Martins Press. p. 420. ISBN[-gt;47] 0-312-05156-5[-gt;48]. OCLC[-gt;49] 22493143[-gt;50]. A time to heal: the autobiography of Gerald R. Ford. San Francisco: Harper Row. pp. 196–199. ISBN 0-06-011297-2[-gt;51]. In his autobiography A Time to Heal, Ford wrote about a meeting he had with Nixons Chief of Staff, Alexander Haig[-gt;52]. Haig was explaining what he and Nixons staff thought were Nixons only options. He could try to ride out the impeachment and fight against conviction in the Senate, or he could resign. Nixon’s options for resigning were to delay his resignation until further along in the impeachment process to try and settle for a censure vote in Congress, or to pardon himself and then resign. Haig told Ford that some of Nixons staff suggested that Nixon could agree to resign in return for an agreement that Ford would pardon him. The effect on the 1974 Senate election[-gt;53] and House election[-gt;54] three months later was significant[-gt;55]. The Democrats gained five seats in the Senate and forty-nine in the House. Watergate led to Congress passing legislation making changes in rules for campaign financing. The scandal contributed to Congress amending the Freedom of Information Act[-gt;56] in 1974, as well as to laws requiring new financial disclosures by key government officials, such as the Ethics in Government Act[-gt;57]. While not legally required, other types of personal disclosure, such as releasing recent income tax forms, became expected. Presidents since Franklin D. Roosevelt[-gt;58] had recorded many of their conversations, but after Watergate, this practice purportedly ended.

The Pyschodynamic perspective essays

The Pyschodynamic perspective essays Beginning in the latter part of the 17th century and carrying on into the early 1900's a new perspective was being developed to describe a person's personality and the ways that person would act. The origin of these theorists is possibly the most famous of all psychologists in Dr. Sigmund Freud, who characterized personality by conflict. Later Freud would develop a group of followers that would develop their own theories, most notably Carl Jung and his theory of Analytical Psychology. This perspective soon received much appeal from the general public because they were able to explain certain actions and traits to the common man. The godfather of Psychology was none other than Dr. Freud who revolutionized the psychology industry when he introduced his theories on Psychosexual development. The key behind his theories is that every person is controlled by external drives primarily sex and aggression, but also opposing forces that are hidden inside the person. To Illustrate this theory Freud used an image of and Iceberg, saying that only about 10% of the mind is conscious at any one time and that the majority of these forces were controlled by an unconscious force he called the Id, and the only forces a person is aware of is the ego and the superego which are naturally conflicting forces. In more detail, the Id is everything that gives the person pleasure, but it is not organized in any way and Dr. Freud said when translated " The id is Chaos" (Brill 184). The Ego on the other hand is the logical force that drives a person to reason rather than irrational decisions. Lastly the Superego, which develops thr ough your childhood, based solely on how you were raised. Being that you are affected largely by your parents morals and values as well as the traditional values of the society that helped shape your childhood. Freud also stated that because a person was to encounter these conflicts in every single stage of development and a ...

Body Image Research Proposal

I have chosen to study this topic because body image is such a controversial issue in today’s society, especially with adolescent boys and girls. While reviewing select articles on this topic, I noticed that there was a drastic difference in body image between boys and girls. I began to wonder what the reason for this was and through further study of these articles, I realized it had a lot to do with media influences and the role that friends family play in developing body image and so my questions revolve around studying these roles and influences. Much of the media targeted towards girls focuses on portraying only women that fit societys unrealistic expectations of the perfect woman whereas media targeted at men has much more variance in the types of men they portray. According to much of the literature on this topic, this is seen as one of the largest contributing factors to negative body image in adolescent girls. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1) How does the media and advertising contribute to adolescents body image? 2) How do body image issues differ among adolescent boys and girls? What role do family and friends play in developing adolescents’ body image? RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ROLE OF THE RESEARCHER PARTICIPANTS -individual interviews -observation in this situation would be too difficult as it develops over a length of time, not an instantaneous thing -interviews allow to create open ended questions that help the conversation flow to understand how body image has been influenced, types of friends, family involvement, interests, hobbies (are they into pop culture, do they admire celebs, do they spend lots of time watching tv/movies)

(business law) occupiers, liability ACT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

(business law) occupiers, liability ACT - Essay Example The liability of an occupier was first spelt out in the case of Stevenson v Glasgow Corporation*3 where Lord M’Laren explained that â€Å"precautions which have been rejected by common sense as unnecessary and inconvenient are not required by law.† This position was recently cited by Lord Hutton in the case of Tomlinson v Congleton Borough Council*4 where the defendants were not held liable for Tomlison’s injuries, because the injury had come about due to Tomlinson’s choice to undertake a dangerous activity rather than because the premises were dangerous. In the case of Robert Addie and Sons v Dumbreck*5 Lord Hailsham limited the liability of occupiers, especially towards trespassers, when he stated that an occupier would be liable only â€Å"where the injury [was] due to some willful act involving something more than the absence of reasonable care† or when the occupier had demonstrated a â€Å"reckless disregard of the trespasser’s presence .† In the instant case, a child died but the defendant was not held to be liable because the child had received sufficient warning about the dangers on the property. However, subsequent cases have refined the harsh, blanket standard that was applied towards trespassers in general, reducing Occupier liability to an extent where it was negligible. When the claimant for injury is a child, Occupier liability increases in view of a child’s lack of appreciation for danger and their â€Å"ingenuity in finding unexpected ways of doing mischief to themselves should never be underestimated†, as stated by Lord Hoffman*6. The House of Lords ruled against the occupier in the case of Jolley because occupier knew that the boat the victim was repairing was dangerous but did not bother to warn the child. In fact, Section 2 (3) (a) of the Occupier Liability Act specifies that â€Å"an occupier must be prepared for children to be less

The interpretation of Islamic texts is entirely independent of Essay

The interpretation of Islamic texts is entirely independent of historical vicissitudes. Discuss - Essay Example Most of the interpretation of the Islamic texts is based on the historical changes and this is modified in order to suit a particular context whether present or past. It is in this perspective that I will be arguing against the perception that the interpretation of the Islamic texts is entirely independent of historical vicissitudes. The paper will be split into various categories in order to look analytically on the aspects that support my argument. The first section will be a history on Islam in the world. Thereafter I will discuss and argue against the aforementioned topic. This will be done in different contexts like looking at the gender in relation of the Islam; this will be looked at in relation of the treatment of women and men through the interpretation of the Islamic texts. Each concept will be looked at analytically with the support of relevant reading material and credited sources. The last section will be the conclusion of the paper and how each of the said point has bee n relevant during the research for this paper. Each argument will be argued first with me giving my own opinion about it then using the citation from relevant materials and concluding with my own opinion of the said topic. Each stage will have the relevant support references. Introduction to Islam The history of Islam has in most cases been associated with the sole existence of Islamic states and empires. Since the beginning Islam was existing; the spread of the religion was on a community—state basis. It was both a faith and a political order. Within years and centuries after the His death, Muhammad’s local Arabian polity did become a very huge empire going as far as North Africa to Southeast Asia. The advancement and development of Islam and institutions are always intertwined. Islam: The History In the 6th Century in the Arabia brought forward the rise of Islam. The Arabia was the source and congregation of many beliefs. Christianity and also the practice of Judaism was in the region although for the better part of the 6th Century C.E (Common Era) they were overwhelmed by the faction of the tribal deities that practices barbaric activities. Muhammad (pbuh), the Prophet of Islam was born in Mecca in 570 Common Era in what is referred to as Saudi Arabia. His family dealt in trade and by the time He was 25 he was employed by an old woman who was a widow with whom He later married. At 40, He began to experience visions and also auditory revelations, throughout His occasional meditation retreat in the caves. According to Islamic Social Services Association, the angel Gabriel revealed himself to Him and gave Him a book in which he was commanded to â€Å"Read†. In the beginning this revelation was being shared with His friends and family and with instances He congregated on a daily basis with the growing number of people and the meaning of Peace was shared. The message that Muhammad (pbuh) had for Peace was met with resistance thus it made Him run away to Medina. The event is called Hijrah (emigration). Eventually He returned to Mecca and died in 632 in Medina and He also did not leave any male heir. According to Endress (1987), The word Islam is an Arabic word meaning peace, greeting, allegiance loyalty and obedience to the Creator. According to Muslims, Allah chose Prophet

The Road By Aaron Bellam Essay Example for Free

ï » ¿The Road By Aaron Bellam Essay History has had little conscience when it comes to human suffering and struggle. The world has brought us murder, torture, and terror in the packages of war, politics, and everyday human relationships. Religious battles keep racism, greed, and suffering real. The positive is not always apparent when one looks at human existence. Aside from the physical struggle humans had to endure and overcome, emotions also challenge us in hard times. Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, a story set after an apocalypse, takes the characters beyond physical challenges like cold and hunger. In their dystopia, the characters must also face their emotional struggles. As they journey across the dark, barren land, the boy and his father experience the feelings of desperation, fear and hope. The first emotion that urges the pair on in their journey is desperation. The father and son are desperate for many things; food, warmth, and not to be caught and raped by others. As well; the two are desperate to find and share with other good guys. The man and his emaciated bay have such a strong desperation to find food and food is so scarce that the pair finds â€Å"the bones of a small animal dismembered and placed in a pile, possibly a cat†. (McCarthy.2006.Pg26) This find is proof that other survivors have turned to alternate forms of food to try and give themselves energy for the trek. Warmth is another huge luxury that the father and his boy wish they had. After a find of supplies in an abandoned house, they ‘sat wrapped in the quilt naked while the man held the boy’s feet to his stomach to warm them. (McCarthy. 2006.Pg31). The man is obviously willing to do anything; he is determined to keep his son warm and comfortable, even if it takes away from his own comfort. Hiding from people looking to catch others to eat is a further element of despair the two are forced to cope with. Cannibals roam this dystopia. After finding people in a cellar, some with limbs chopped off, the son is left horrified. The man and the son are desperate to find other ‘good guys’ like them so that they aren’t alone. Moreover, there are many other emotions the trekkers are desperate for; however these four are some of the most pressing. Ironically, this ugly emotion helps to keep the two going. The second, and most important emotion that drives the father and his son forward, is Fear. The apocalypse has given the man and his son reason to be fearful of many  things: Strangers, Starvation, and being alone. The father is so afraid of strangers that every time they come across another person he becomes very hostile. When they came upon a traveler, they followed him, perhaps because â€Å"The traveler was not one for looking back. They followed him for a while and then they overtook him.† (McCarthy.2006.Pg161) The man has changed drastically since his wife le ft him, and he has become very protective of his son. Starvation is another fear that drives them forward; food is very scarce and when they find food they do what they can to keep people from taking it from them. When the pair sees an old man called Ely walking down the street the father says I see and â€Å"the boy turned and looked at him. I know what the question is the man said. The answer is no. What question? Can we keep him? We can’t.† (McCarthy.2006.Pg.164). After the death of his father the boy is discovered by a family that had been following them. Even though the man had taught him to be very cautious around other people, the boy was very lonely and feared having to travel by himself ,so after making sure that they were â€Å"good guys†; he asked them â€Å"are you carrying the fire? Am I what? Carrying the fire. You’re kind of weirded out, aren’t you? No. Just a little. Yeah. That’s ok. So are you? What, carrying the fire? Yes. Yeah we are.† (McCarthy.2006.Pg283/284), he decides to travel with the family. And while fear is one of the most important emotions the pair faces in the book it is also one of the most important that people have faced since we first developed emotions. And even though fear plays a big part in their movement forward there is still another that is just as important. The Third and final emotion that is expressed in the novel is hope. The boy’s character is a sign of hope to the father throughout the book. In the father’s view the boy is almost described as holy, â€Å"if he is not the word of god, god never spoke†, which gives the sense that the boy is precious to the man and that the boy is the father’s hope like a god is a religious person’s hope. The boy also gives a sense of hope to the reader. This is from his sense of goodness and innocence, the way he gave food to the old m an at the side of the road, which in this world the reader gets a sense that goodness and innocence is unheard of. This gives this bleak, horrific, world a feeling of humanity, a feeling that gives the destroyed world a future â€Å"Goodness will find the little boy. It always has. It will again.† In the road there is a repeated reference to ‘carrying the flame’ which is a symbol  of hope. It is a symbol that mankind will always live on throughout any circumstances. When the man dies he tells the boy the he is now carrying the flame which shows the man’s hope of a better future or merely a just a future for the boy. The food is a sign presented by Cormac McCarthy of hope, when the food is low the scene is shown grimly and when the food is plentiful. When they find the bunker full of food, page 146, the text is full of short sentences ‘Canned hams.’, ‘Corned beef’ which show the father’s joy and almost disbelief of how hopeful the future will be with this plenty. Other than the boy the father has hope in very few things. But one thing which is shown throughout The Road is the father’s sense of morals. The father always reassures the boy and himself that they are the good guys, because they aren’t turning to cannibalism, which gives them the hope to keep them going because they are, to the father, keeping goodness in the world alive, ‘carrying the flame’. In the father’s dream, page 2, the father and the son are holding a light, ‘Their light playing over the wet flowstone walls.’ Which could be interpreted as a reference to the ‘carrying the flame’. The mother is a character presenting hope that has been lost. The mother commits suicide as this is what she sees as the brightest option. The mother says â€Å"as for me my only hope is for eternal nothingness and I hope it with all my heart.† (McCarthy.2006.Pg58/59), this shows how the mother has lost all hope of a future and nothingness is better than life on borrowed time. The last paragraph in the road is full of hope for the boy and the earth’s future. Cormac McCarthy presents the theme of hope in many different ways. He shows the lost hope of people in end of the world situations, the mother and the cannibals. The hope for the future, carrying the flame and the last paragraph. The hope for goodness and generosity in the world, the father’s view of the boy and carrying the flame. Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, a story set in a post-apocalyptic earth, showed the journey off a Man and his son: as they faced physical challenges, such as, Cold and Hunger, they also faced emotional challenges through Desperation, Fear, and Hope. This is a story that shows the perseverance of a man and his son, as they fight to survive.

Cleopatra :: History Biography Cleopatra Essays

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII was known for the love she had of her country, a love so great that would lead her to any means necessary for the good of it. She was born into a Macedonian family who had power and rule over Egypt. They were descended from Ptolemy I, a general of Alexander the Great who became king of Egypt after Alexander's death in 323 BC. â€Å"The ptolemaic dynasty was interlocked in goodwill and bad with the other Hellenistic states that had been wrenched out of portions of Alexander’s empire† (Huzar, 187). In this paper I will discuss who she was, and the measures she would she would go to for the good of her country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cleopatra VII was born in 69 BC in Egypt. Her father was Egypt's pharaoh, Ptolemy XII, nicknamed Auletes or "Flute-Player." Cleopatra's mother was probably Auletes's sister, Cleopatra V Tryphaena. She had two older sisters, Cleopatra VI and Berenice IV. She also had a younger sister, Arsinole IV. There were also two younger brothers, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV. When their father died in 51 BC, he left the rule of the kingdom to Cleopatra VII and her younger brother Ptolemy XIV. She married him, a twelve-year-old. This was not out of love for him, but out of wanting to rule. In order for her to rule she must have a consort, either brother or son.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cleopatra is one of the most talked about figures in ancient history. â€Å"She possessed many titles. Among them was Thea Neotera, the New Goddess, an echo of that great earlier Cleopatra Thea; and Philadelphus, lover of her brothers. Other titles include Philopator, lover of father, and Philopatris, lover of country. † (Grant1, 198). It was said by some that she was beautiful and irresistible. When portrayed on film she is a ravishing beauty. Others would argue that her beauty was internal rather than external; that her looks are not at all what attracted the great men of her time but her intellect and personality. She was an educated woman who could speak several languages, knew of geography, and could talk of politics. This was rare at the time, for not many women could. â€Å"Cleopatra formed a mighty plan to revive the great Ptolemaic Empire of the past by maintaining associations with two successive leaders, Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius, who both in turn became her lovers.† (Grant, 17).